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Written Question
Abortion: Drugs
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women have been (a) hospitalised, or (b) required ambulance care following use of at-home abortion pills.

Answered by Caroline Johnson

The information requested is not held centrally.


Written Question
Abortion: Drugs
Tuesday 11th October 2022

Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Democratic Unionist Party - Lagan Valley)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the number of cases of domestic abuse and coercion connected with the home use of early medical abortion pills since March 2020.

Answered by Caroline Johnson

The Department recognises safeguarding as an essential aspect of abortion care and officials are working with the Domestic Abuse Commissioners Office to understand issues related to domestic abuse and coercion and home-use of early medical abortion (EMA).

All abortion providers are required to have effective arrangements in place to safeguard women and girls accessing abortion services who may be experiencing domestic abuse or coercion. Following Parliament’s decision to make provisions for at home early medical abortion to be made permanent from 30 August, the Department is ensuring that robust safeguarding systems and processes for home use of EMA are embedded in all abortion services.


Written Question
Abortion: Drugs
Tuesday 11th October 2022

Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Democratic Unionist Party - Lagan Valley)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women have required hospital treatment following the home use of early medical abortion pills since March 2020.

Answered by Caroline Johnson

The information requested is not collected centrally.


Written Question
Abortion: Drugs
Wednesday 28th September 2022

Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Abortion notification forms for England and Wales, for what reason there is a discrepancy between the HSA4 paper form and the HSA4 electronic form related to written confirmation being required for patients under 13; and what safeguarding procedures her Department has put in place to ensure vulnerable children under 13 are cared for.

Answered by Caroline Johnson

All abortion notification forms are reviewed and data quality checks are completed. Whilst electronic forms automatically send a prompt to check date of birth for a patient under the age of 14 years old, paper forms where the age is recorded as under 14 years old are returned by post for confirmation of the date of birth.

The Department has specific required standard operating procedures for independent providers to follow for those aged under 13 years old accessing services. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health recently published safeguarding guidance for those aged under 18 years old accessing services, which will ensure that robust safeguarding processes are embedded and that vulnerable children under 13 years old are appropriately cared for.


Written Question
Abortion: Drugs
Wednesday 28th September 2022

Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evidence her Department assessed prior to the decision to update the HSA4 electronic form to note that for medical abortions, abortion providers should use the dates that they supplied the medication to the patient, rather than the dates the provider advised the patient that they should take them; and what steps are being taken to ensure complications arising from the same early medical abortion are recorded, given that complications would be unknown prior to the pills being taken.

Answered by Caroline Johnson

The Abortion (Amendment) Regulations 2022 updated the notification requirements for medical abortion. When both pills for medical abortion are taken in the clinic, providers are required to record the date of treatment. When one or both pills are to be self-administered at home, providers are required to record the date on which the early medical abortion pill was due to be taken by the patient, in accordance with the medical practitioner’s instructions.

The Department is aware that complications may be less likely to be recorded where one or both pills are taken at home. We are currently identifying additional sources of information to complement data on complications from notification forms and review and improve the reporting of serious incidents.


Written Question
Abortion: Drugs
Thursday 22nd September 2022

Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women have been (a) hospitalised and (b) in ambulance care due to at-home abortion pills in the last 12 months.

Answered by Caroline Johnson

The information requested is not held centrally.


Written Question
Abortion: Drugs
Monday 7th March 2022

Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of ending the home use of mifepristone on (1) waiting times, (2) workforce pressures, and (3) the long-term sustainability, of abortion services.

Answered by Lord Kamall

Given current pressures on the sector, the Government has provided an extended period for services to plan for the return of face-to-face treatments. We will continue to work with NHS England and NHS Improvement, the Care Quality Commission and abortion providers to ensure a safe and reliable return to face-to-face services.

We are developing a new Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy which will set out plans to improve reproductive health outcomes and wellbeing. Whilst issues relating to abortion legislation will not be in scope of the Strategy, ensuring the sustainability of accessible and high quality abortion services for women will be a priority.


Written Question
Abortion: Drugs
Thursday 3rd March 2022

Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of allowing home use of mifepristone on the number of abortion pills purchased online from unregulated providers.

Answered by Lord Kamall

No specific assessment has been made. Buying pills online outside of the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967 is unlawful and remains subject to criminal sanctions. Under the Abortion Act, women have access to safe, legal and regulated abortion services.


Written Question
Abortion: Drugs
Wednesday 2nd March 2022

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to end the temporary approval allowing home use of both pills for early medical abortion in line with the lifting of remaining covid-19 restrictions.

Answered by Maggie Throup

We have always been clear that the approval which enabled home use of both pills for early medical abortion would be temporary and was in response to the unprecedented situation with the COVID pandemic. Due to the success and impact of the national vaccination and booster programme, face to face abortion services will return by 29 August 2022. A six-month extension of the temporary approval has been made to enable a safe and reliable return to these arrangements.


Written Question
Abortion: Drugs
Monday 7th February 2022

Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department's response to the consultation on home use of both pills for early medical abortion will be published.

Answered by Maggie Throup

We are considering all evidence submitted to the Government’s public consultation on whether to make permanent the temporary measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion. We will publish our response as soon as possible. The approval was put in place on a temporary basis and is time limited for two years or until the end of the pandemic.